Bush Rips Obama Over "Embracing Tyrants"

Without directly mentioning his name, President Bush took a broad swipe at Sen. Barack Obama during his news conference on Thursday, equating Obama's willingness to talk with foreign leaders (both allied and adversarial) to "embracing" tyrants.

The topic of conversation centered on what U.S. policy to Cuba should be in the aftermath of Fidel Castro handing control of the island to his brother Raul. Taking what appeared to be particular pride in having never negotiated with America's enemies, Bush said:

"[Meeting with Raul] will send a discouraging message to those who wonder whether America will continue to work for the freedom of prisoners. It will give great status to those who have suppressed human rights and human dignity. I'm not suggesting there's never a time to talk, but I'm suggesting now is not the time not to talk with Raul Castro."

Dispensing the confusion over what time, exactly, would be appropriate, the reporter who asked the question reminded Bush that no one is saying the U.S should embrace Raul Castro but merely engage the new leader. The president conceded the point, only to ridicule the concept of negotiating-with-your-enemies as "embracing" tyrants once more.

"Sitting down at the table -- having your picture taken with a tyrant such as Raul Castro, for example, lends the status of the office and the status of our country to him. He gains a lot from it by saying, 'look at me, I'm now recognized by the President of the United States.' Now, somebody will say, well, I'm going to tell him to release the prisoners.

Well, it's a theory that all you got to do is embrace and these tyrants act. That's not how they act. That's not what causes them to respond. So I made a decision quite the opposite, and that is to keep saying to the Cuba books people, we stand with you. We will not sit down with your leaders that imprison your people because of what they believe. We will keep an embargo on you. We do want you to have money from people here in the homeland, but we will stay insistent upon this policy until you begin to get free."

For reference, here's what Obama said about meeting with Raul Castro during the Democratic debate in Austin, Texas on Feb. 22:

OBAMA:Now, keep in mind that the starting point for our policy in -- in Cuba should be the liberty of the Cuban people. And I think we recognize that that liberty has not existed throughout the Castro regime. And we now have an opportunity to potentially change the relationship between the United States and Cuba, after over half a century.

I would meet without preconditions, although Senator Clinton is right that there has to be preparation. It is very important for us to make sure that there was an agenda and on that agenda was human rights, releasing of political prisoners, opening up the press. And that preparation might take some time.

But I do think that it is important for the United States not just to talk to its friends but also to talk to its enemies.

In fact, that's where diplomacy makes the biggest difference. (Applause.)

One other thing that I've said as a show of good faith, that we're interested in pursuing potentially a new relationship, what I've called for is a loosening of the restrictions on remittances from family members to the people of Cuba as well as travel restrictions for family members who want to visit their family members in Cuba. And I think that initiating that change in policy as a start and then suggesting that an agenda get set up is something that could be useful, but I would not normalize relations until we started seeing some of the progress that Senator Clinton talked about. [...]

I do think it is important, precisely because the Bush administration has done so much damage to American foreign relations, that the president take a more active role in diplomacy than might have been true 20 or 30 years ago.

Because the problem isn't -- is if we think that meeting with the president is a privilege that has to be earned, I think that reinforces the sense that we stand above the rest of the world at this point in time, and I think that it's important for us, in undoing the damage that has been done over the last seven years, for the president to be willing to take that extra step. That's the kind of step that I would like to take as president of the United States.

Comments

[LittleBrother]

Did Obama sing "Embraceable You" to President Unitard?

[S1m0n]

Bush has no credible advice on any aspect of foreign affairs to offer anyone. He should STFU, given the mkyriad manifest disasters of his reign.

[MIHOP]

Isn't it amazing that Bush somehow thinks, after so many years of being consistently wrong as the predicter and decider, that he's still in a position of authority to speak on these matters?

[realpolitic]

He does not realize whenever he speaks he speaks in a wind tunnel and none of us care to listen. The man has been wrong about absolutely everyything and has forfeited the right to speal on behalf of Americans.

[Chandidevi]

Tell this guy to take early retirement. He already took early mental retirement before he stole the presidency.

[SDgirl]

He needs to take a long vacation at the end of his presidency, just like he did at the beginning!

[weslenforever]

Well Bush knows full well what tyrants are supposed to act like and the war mongering GOP knows how to follow the leader. Imitation is the highest form of flattery and Bush has been studying tyrants all his life. It's the only thing he ever learned how to do right.

[kappa08]

Go away...

[olderdem]

I sure would like just one reporter to ask Bush to explain the inconsistency with his policy with Cuba and that of China – a Communist country with political prisoners, and a long history of human rights abuses much greater than Cuba. To Bush -- explain why China is now one of our largest trading partners and we have a embargo with Cuba.

[foghornleghorny]

I'll tell you why. Cuba has no oil and China can make t-shirts for 5 cents a pop.

[cesca1]

Bush is so irrelevant at this point who cares what nonsense he spouts!! He is at 19% approval - how he stays that high is amazing to me!
This idiot can't string three words together without screwing it up - no wonder he doesn't talk to anybody.
The saddest thing is, like a 6 year old who played with matches and burned down the house, even when he's gone (thank you Lord) we will have to rebuild this country's economy, military and world relationships from the burned out basement on up!

1/20/09 End of an "Error"

[eliandbo]

It is sad that all the citizens can do is cry and complain. It reminds me of a slaughter house, where animals are cut up for food, the only thing the poor animal can do is cry!
How did our founders ever stand up to king George and the Brits?
Lets face it, we are a country full of pussies!

[MIHOP]

"It is sad that all the citizens can do is cry and complain."

"Well some of us are capable of understanding that things are catastrophically wrong, and it's darn clear why!"

I realize you are willing to put your head in the sand because you can see no evil with regard to your party's leaders or their leaders.

"Lets face it, we are a country full of pussies!"

Hat to use the cliche, but, that's how the Nazis felt about Hitler... Some people just need to follow an autocrat whose only trick is a weapon. Well, this one trick cowboy is on his way out of town. With any luck, maybe we'll be able to lessen the impact of his misdeeds upon you, your children and grandchildren.

BTW - they could use a couple hundred thousand soldiers to maintain the surge. Out of the tens of millions of supportive Republicans, why can't we find 'em? More All Hat No Cattle?

[pfc1369]

"Folks here in the Homeland," ( formerly: the United States ) said the Shrub.

[slow2]

THINK GEORGE W BUSH -- walking lovingly hand in hand with Saudi princes; think GWB -- dancing with sabres in Saudi Arabia. Think about the Bush admin letting bin Laden's family fly out of the US after 9/11.

This administration is in bed with God knows how many corrupt dictators and tyrants. The idea that W could make an observation about that topic is disgusting.

We got a long time before we can kiss that corrupt bunch good-bye; maybe we can keep the nausea at a manageable level, maybe not.

Let's get those Democratic speechwriters on board and start cranking out some info...

[AC500]

News Flash! Who cares what Bush says? Who listens to Bush anyway, unless of course he's yielding his veto pen?

[Sumocat]

"[Meeting with Raul] will send a discouraging message to those who wonder whether America will continue to work for the freedom of prisoners. It will give great status to those who have suppressed human rights and human dignity." -- Big talk from the guy who set up a prison in Cuba. Was that done without meeting with them first?

[Nova16]

With all the deep problems facing this country at home and abroad, it was deploring that this press corps at this briefing delivered such insipid, stale, flat and off-the mark comments and questions. The dolt babbled on with his hill-billy tone dealing with the collapsing economy, his phony war, electronic surveillance, the price of gasoline, etc., etc. There was no attempt to challenge any of his inane comments and he was permitted to ramble on without a whimper of journalistic critique of what he was saying. I guess I just have to accept the fact that the Press corps, and all the media have achieved a level of incompetency in performing their duty and responsibility as watchdogs of government policies and practices that endanger the public interest. It almost seemed surreal and a press conference celebrating a fascist regime.

[nihilon x]

Bush is a tyrant.

Most Americans do not support his wars, yet he continues regardless.

[riverhouse]

Maybe it's because Bush finds talking so difficult that he feels compelled to bomb people to smithereens instead of talking to them. Won't it be nice to have a president who can actually speak coherently and calmly like, say, Barack Obama, instead of just jumping into war like GWB, McCain, and Hillary Clinton.